What does Exodus 3:15 mean?
Two important statements have just been made (Exodus 3:14). The first was God's description of Himself, to be used as His name: e'heyeh aser' e'heyeh. This means "I am Who I am." The second used similar language to instruct Moses to tell the people of Israel that he had been sent by "I am." Both imply a being who must exist. Unlike all created things, God is not the product of anything else (John 1:1–3). He simply "is."Here, Scripture continues with a third statement from God regarding His name. Moses is to specify that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had sent him to the Israelites. The "I am" who now speaks to Moses is the same God who appeared to Abraham (Genesis 12:1–3).
God refers to Himself using the word Lord, spelled YHWH in Hebrew letters. This is related to the root verb hayah, earlier translated as "I am" (Exodus 3:14). God is the "I am," the self-existent one, and the "Lord" of Abraham and his descendants. Many believe the term was initially pronounced as "YAH-way," often spelled in modern contexts as Yahweh. It is sometimes transliterated as Jehovah. The name Yahweh would be known as the unique name of Israel's God throughout Jewish history. Later, the name YHWH was considered so holy that readers would not pronounce it. Instead, they substituted another word for "Lord:" Adonai. This was intended to keep Jews from accidentally breaking the commandment regarding using the Lord's name in vain (Exodus 20:7).